Cricketer blames cat for drink-drive charge

England cricket star Graeme Swann has claimed that he drove his car while over the drink-drive limit because he had to buy screwdrivers to free his trapped cat.

The 31-year-old spin bowler told Nottingham Magistrates' Court yesterday that he had been out with friends on April 2 when he returned to his Nottinghamshire home to discover that his pet was trapped.

According to Reuters, police constable Steven Denniss stopped Swann because he was driving his high-performance white Porsche Cayenne in an area where there had been several burglaries.

Denniss told the court: "Mr Swann stated he had been out that evening and had come back to find his cat trapped under the floorboards in his house.

"He had gone to Asda to fetch some screwdrivers to remove some floorboards... His speech was slightly slurred but he was compliant. He was slightly upset due to the fact of his cat and what had just happened."

A blood test discovered that Swann's alcohol level was 83mg per 100ml. The current legal limit is 80mg. Swann denies a charge of drink-driving.